Sight and method of sighting guns.



L. J. GRAHAM.

SIGHT AND METHOD 0F SIGHTING GUNS.

APPLIACATION FILED MAY9.1917.

1,294445, lutcutcd Feb. 1S, 1915).

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/ 0/76/ JO/f/I Gra/2am 12W/mm e UNITED STATES LIONEL JOHN GRAHAM, OFLONDON, ENGLAND.

SIGHT AND METHOD`0F SIGHTING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application led May 9, 1917. Serial No. 167,589.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIONEL JOHN GRA- HAM a subj ect of the King of GreatBritain, resi ing at London, England, have invented a new and usefulImprovement Relating to Sights and Methods of Sighting Guns, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has reference to sights and methods of sighting guns andhas for its object to provide improved means whereby the correctlayingof a gun or small arm on a distant target may be accurately recordedupon ay screen or chart so that when the gun and chart are thereaftercaused to occupy the same relative'l positions firing may be effected-asfor instance at night-with great accuracy of aim without the necessityof again aiming or sighting the gun on the distant target.

In its broadest aspect the invention contemplates a device adapted forattachment to a gun and having means whereby as the gun is laid asuitable source of illumination may be caused to project an appropriateimage upon a screen or chart in such a manner that when once the correctposition of the gun with respect to the distant target is obtained andthe position of the Iprojected image noted upon the screen or c art itis only necessary when the target can no longer be viewedas at night forexample-to so manipulate the gun that the image is projected-on thescreen or chart in the same position as that previously marked for greataccuracy of aim to be obtained on the distant target.

In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried intoeffect Il will npw proceed to describe the same fully for which purposereference is to be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates adevice constructed in accordance with this invention and shown asapplied to the rear crossiece of a machine gun.

In t at embodiment of the invention illustrated 1 indicates a tubeadapted for attachment to the rear cross piece 2 of the gun such as bmeans of the clamp 3 and joint 4 which atter permits of the tube 1 beingturned and secured in any desired direction by means of the set screw41.

The tube 1 carries at one end a plug 5 in which is mounted an electricincandescent glow lamp 6 in electrical connection with one terminal ofan 'appropriate battery (not shown) by means of the lead 7 the otherterminal of said battery being connected by the lead 8 to a switch 9 onthe rear crosspiece 2.

n The opposite end of the aforesaid tube 1 1s which is mounted a singleplano-convex lens 11 and a biconcave lens 12.

Slidably or otherwise conveniently mounted on'the end of the tube 1 is atubular ray shield 13 to prevent dispersion of the lightrays passingthrough the lenses 1l and 12 from the lamp 6.

In operation the gun is laid with correct range on the desired distanttarget when this latter is visible asfor instance during the day and thebeam of light from the lamp 6 caused to fall upon a screen or chart 14suitably supported at an appropriate distance from the end of thetube 1. The image of the lamp filament will thus be projected upon thescreen and its position is then marked thereon. Similar procedure isfollowed by any number of other targets and as the light is xed on thegun the relation between the line of sight and the projected imageisconstant and it is therefore only necessary when it is desired tore-lay the gun at night to cause the beam of light to register with thepreviously marked position on the screen representing the target it isdesired to hit to obtain great accuracy of aim. I

To compensate for any allowance it may be necessary to make due to windpressure or other conditions the aforesaid screen or chart may be somounted as to be capable of adjustment in a vertical plane or otherwise.

In applying theinvention to a small-arm it will obviouslybe necessary toprovide a suitable support such as a tripod or other stand in which theweapon may be mounted the sighting device being clamped to the butt orother suitable part of the small-arm.

It will of course be apparent that instead of projecting the image ofthe lamp filament I may cause any other appropriate image to beprojected upon the aforesaid screen for exam le cross Wires may bemounted behind t e lenses or a graticuled disk may be arranged withinthe tube or one of the len'ses may be graticuled or the lamp bulb maybear an appropriate device or again a suitable slide may be interposedbetween the lamp and the enses.

A. device of the kind to which this invention relates possesses manymanifest advanrovided with a focusing carrier 10 inV tages as by its usea gun may be caused to cover the same field by night as by day While iteliminates the necessity of the irer understandingthe methods of layinggun by map compass and' clinometer which operation may be eifected by acompetent person and the various points registered on the screen afterwhich anyone can open fire with as the gun is laid on the target and ascreen or chart for receiving and recording an appropriate image andadapted to serve in relaying and firing the gun without visualizing thetarget.

3. A device for sighting guns comprising Aa tube adapted for beingturned and secured in any desired direction, a source of illuminationand a lens mounted in said tube and a detached screen or chart adaptedupon the laying of the gun on the ltarget to receive and record theposition of an appropriate image and to serve in re-laying and firingthe gun without visualizing the target.

4. A device for sighting guns comprising a tube attached to the gun soas to be operable at any angle with regard thereto, a source, ofillumination and a focusing lens mounted in said tube, a ray shieldcarried by said tube and a screen or chart attached exteriorly andseparately to and of the gun so that as the gun is laid on the target animage is projected on the said screen or chart in a line constant inrelation to the line of sight of the gun and the said screen is adaptedvto serve 1n re-layingl and firing the gun Without visualizing the taret.

LIONEL JOHN GRA M.

